2026-10-09 APP 2.0.0-beta48 has been released !
This is mainly a bug fix release for the reported bugs in beta47. In addition it has a significant User Interface performance improvement noticable when you need to process 1000s of images in APP.
2026-10-03 APP 2.0.0-beta47 has been released !
This is a very big release... many code optimizations/rewrites, many parts of APP are much faster and more precise, especially star analysis and registration are much faster ! Big mosaics will go much faster 🙂
And we introduce a new preview filter, which includes the new Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch and a General Levels Stretch, this has been long over due. The old preview filter (the panel on the right side to stretch and preview your data) has not been updated for a couple of years and it is a critical part of any APP session.
Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch or ADSS is a much more intuitive stretch algorithm. It is also color preserving (which is a great new addition in itself ! ) which means that the highlights are no longer bleached, color is maintained from the linear data while stretching. You can simply stretch your data using the sky background level and signal width sliders which work much easier and more intuitive. You no longer need to fiddle with the old complicated sliders with zoom buttons. All the zoom buttons for the sliders are made redundant. And you can enter slider values in the slider value fields yourself. I will make a youtube video in the coming days to explain and fully introduce ADSS. Once the video is ready, it will be highlighted on the forum.
RGB Combine upgrade !. The RGB Combine Tool has been rewritten mostly. The tool is faster and easier to use and most importantly, the Luminance slider to inject a luminance channel or channels into the RGB composite is now working correctly. It no longer bleaches the RGB colors. Combined with the new ADSS preview, you will get much better and easier great composites with great color! I will also explain this in a new youtube video.
I'm looking advice on the simplest way to integrate all my data together.
I have 2 x ED80s on a dual rig, with an Atik 383L+ on one and a QHY9M on the other.
Both cameras have the Kodak KAF-8300 sensor.
I have the complete set of calibration data for each individual camera - DARKS, FLATS, DARK FLATS, BIAS.
I also like to do mosaics, and use the fantastic mosaic tool to join the panels. Again I would like to intgrate all my data at the same time.
Any ideas welcomed, please provide details or settings.
Many thanks
Adam
Hi Adam,
I use the 'multi session processing' in the load menu.
1) Load in lights from camera 1 - Assign the session as camera 1
2) Load in calibration files from camera 1 and assign them to camera 1
3) Load in lights from camera 2 - assign as camera 2
4) Load in calibration files from camera 2 and assign to camera 2
You will then be able to integrate them together. I find that this works best to integrate each mono channel separately.
Hope that helps.
Hi Adam,
I use the 'multi session processing' in the load menu.
1) Load in lights from camera 1 - Assign the session as camera 1
2) Load in calibration files from camera 1 and assign them to camera 1
3) Load in lights from camera 2 - assign as camera 2
4) Load in calibration files from camera 2 and assign to camera 2
You will then be able to integrate them together. I find that this works best to integrate each mono channel separately.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Sara 👍🏼
What settings would you suggest for the integration stage, in terms of outlier rejection, or is it no different to stacking one camera data set.
It depends on the numbers of lights I am using as to what rejection process I use. If it's more than 20 I use LAN Winsor and keep the rest of the settings to default.
I have a similar request, but keep running into issues.
My setup is two different scopes, so two different FOV, with a mono camera on one (ASI1600MM) and a OSC colour camera on the other (ASI294MC).
I seem to stumble on step 0) because to process the colour images, I need to Force Bayer CFA. Obviously I don't need to do that for the mono data. Would I have to process these in APP independently, then combine in Photoshop for example (i.e. add HA to RGB, or add a Luminance layer to RGB) or can I do this all in APP - the advantage is that it solves the FOV from the two different scopes (my longer focal length basically "adds more detail" and I crop out the wider FOV shot)?
Kev
I have a similar request, but keep running into issues.
My setup is two different scopes, so two different FOV, with a mono camera on one (ASI1600MM) and a OSC colour camera on the other (ASI294MC).
I seem to stumble on step 0) because to process the colour images, I need to Force Bayer CFA. Obviously I don't need to do that for the mono data. Would I have to process these in APP independently, then combine in Photoshop for example (i.e. add HA to RGB, or add a Luminance layer to RGB) or can I do this all in APP - the advantage is that it solves the FOV from the two different scopes (my longer focal length basically "adds more detail" and I crop out the wider FOV shot)?
Kev
Hi Kev
I also combine data from mono CCD and DSLR. I stack the mono data first. Then I combine the DSLR data separately. When I'm working with the DSLR data I include one mono frame in the file list. I keep it checked and go as far as the end of stage 3. On stage 4 (register) I select the mono frame as the reference frame, and uncheck it. I then register all the DSLR lights to this mono light, and continue on to the integration stage. What you then get is both data sets stacked and ready just to layer in PS.
@tooth_dr - that's it. That's the part I was struggling with. I used this technique when I just had the OSC camera and using Ha with that, but this trick allows the FOV to be solved to allow me to combine these in post processing! Thank you.
@tooth_dr - that's it. That's the part I was struggling with. I used this technique when I just had the OSC camera and using Ha with that, but this trick allows the FOV to be solved to allow me to combine these in post processing! Thank you.
No problem. I almost bought Registar, but when I discovered it could be done in APP, I didnt need to buy any other software
I have a similar request, but keep running into issues.
My setup is two different scopes, so two different FOV, with a mono camera on one (ASI1600MM) and a OSC colour camera on the other (ASI294MC).
I seem to stumble on step 0) because to process the colour images, I need to Force Bayer CFA. Obviously I don't need to do that for the mono data. Would I have to process these in APP independently, then combine in Photoshop for example (i.e. add HA to RGB, or add a Luminance layer to RGB) or can I do this all in APP - the advantage is that it solves the FOV from the two different scopes (my longer focal length basically "adds more detail" and I crop out the wider FOV shot)?
Kev
Hi Kev @itarchitectkev and @tooth_dr,
Indeed, the best way for now is what tooth_dr recommends:
Hi Kev
I also combine data from mono CCD and DSLR. I stack the mono data first. Then I combine the DSLR data separately. When I'm working with the DSLR data I include one mono frame in the file list. I keep it checked and go as far as the end of stage 3. On stage 4 (register) I select the mono frame as the reference frame, and uncheck it. I then register all the DSLR lights to this mono light, and continue on to the integration stage. What you then get is both data sets stacked and ready just to layer in PS.
In this way, you are ensured that the data is registered to the reference.
I have on my ToDo list to make this all possible automatically (meaning, you could load all data), but it is a bit complicated, basically APP will need to differentiate between the monochrome and RGB (multi-channel) data, so normalization still works and you end up with both a monochrome and RGB integration, registered and normalized to each other.
Furthermore, like you experienced, the 0) Raw/FITS settings can be different then for the images loaded. Which needs a further upgrade of the current implementation...
It's on my ToDo 😉
Mabula
